The complexity of communication networks has increased rapidly in the past two decades due to the advance in broadband service, wireless technologies, etc. The progression from fixed desktop applications to mobile office with hand-held devices requires a far more robust and flexible network, with richer content, than simple circuit switching technology permits. To be useful and profitable, the content provided by these connections needs to be timely, topical and customized to the needs of the users. Customers will demand always-on or always-available connections.
Client-server application provides a powerful platform for delivering content services over communication networks. Client-server systems provide effective and efficient information distribution and gathering on various scales. They allow rapid deployment of information systems in a variety of end-user environments.
Existing techniques for testing client-server applications are insufficient for the widely-distributed, heavily-loaded, mission-critical networks toward which communication networks are evolving. It becomes impractical for testing personnel to laboriously search through equipment racks for test ports, while network downtime continues to mount. Existing testing applications that are built into the client-server systems must be updated or recompiled every time the systems are modified or changed. These applications are platform-dependent and therefore cannot be migrated to a different system. Customer expectations of higher quality services mandate a focus on testing and service assurance, as well as cost-effective methods to discover potential server problems before they cause any service outages.